'Shetland' Season 9 Sets December Premiere Date

The year 2024 is drawing to a close (thank heavens), and this is a busy time for streaming services; many compete in the awards season derby that kicks off after New Year's. But for a service like BritBox, there's no uptick or downtick since debuts mainly depend on contracted exclusivity windows with British networks. BritBox merely debuts things when they arrive and lets the chips fall where they may. It's not like awards voters pay them much mind, and most of its British programming is more concerned with the BAFTAs than the Golden Globes. So while HBO is dropping Dune: Prophecy and Apple TV+ just finished Disclaimer, BritBox happily gives us cozy mysteries like Shetland Season 9.

Originally, Shetland was based upon the novels of Ann Cleeves (same as Vera), adapted by David Kane for television, and starring Douglas Henshall as the books' detective, DI Jimmy Pérez. But after seven seasons, Henshall decided he was done doing episodic mystery series, and the production was forced to find a new lead or end the show. Perhaps, had the show been called Pérez, it wouldn't have been a choice. Luckily, the show was named for the area, not the lead character, so the BBC just recast, bringing aboard Agatha Raisin's Ashley Jensen in Season 8 as new lead DI Ruth Calder.

Jensen's arrival has reinvigorated the series, which was starting to flag, and changed the dynamics of the station entirely. The most significant change has been for Pérez's sidekick, DS Alison McIntosh (Alison O'Donnell), who suddenly found herself on more equal footing with a boss that she gelled far more than O'Donnell ever did with Henshall. Season 9 will see the two become closer and lean on each other more, as some of the things Tosh has been keeping secret are about to come out.